Phahlane hits out at Ipid

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has flouted the law in dealing with the arrest and prosecution of crime intelligence operative Captain Morris “KGB” Tshabalala.

This was according to former acting police commissioner Lieutenant-General Kgomotso Phahlane as well as police union Sapu.

This as speculation grows over the relationship between the arrested crime intelligence operative and Phahlane, who denies any knowledge of how the fraud accused agent was re-enlisted into the police force.

Tshabalala was arrested and convicted in 2013 for his involvement in a cash-in-transit heist in 1994. He served two years of his 10 year sentence before going on parole, after which he was allegedly appointed as an operative in crime intelligence in 2015.

The South African Police Service (Saps) Act stipulates that a Saps employee who has a criminal record may only be employed back into the service if it is signed off by the national commissioner.

Despite this, Phahlane, who was acting in that position at the time, denies any knowledge of Tshabalala’s enlistment into crime intelligence in 2015.

“I don’t even want to go into whether he was employed or not by crime intelligence. But to suggest that I have appointed him ... anyone who makes that allegation must give you proof that he was employed and then his services were terminated before he went to jail.

“Second, give me proof of documents I would have signed after his parole re-enlisting him into the service.”

He said however, that Ipid was not following procedure in dealing with Tshabalala.

“They have been reckless. They have been unprofessional and they have shown that they do not have any regard for the security of this country,” he said.

“I’m not even sure they have clearance for them to talk on intelligence matters, but to me the manner they conducted themselves and handled this particular matter is criminal.”